Convertible table and shelf



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

ALONZO HALL 8v ALMON HALL. CONVERTIBLE TABLE AND SEELE.

No. 582,350. Patented May 11, 1897.

\'\\\ l ,l )NVENTORS WITNEBSES. i

RW' V5 (No Model.) 'ALONZO HALL 8 6 ALMON HALhSheets-Sheet 2.

CONVERTIBLE TABLE AND SHELF. No, 582,350. Patented May 11, 1897.

INVENTORS fwm@ E (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. ALONZO HALL 8u ALMON HALL.

CONVERTIBLE TABLE AND SHELF No. 582,350. Patented May 1l. 1897.

TA EN* 'Nvema Re UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

ALONZO I-IALL AND ALMON HALL, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

CONVERTIBLE TABLE AND SHELF.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 582,350, dated May 11, 1897.

Application filed March 10, 1897- Selil N0. 626,749. (N0 model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that we, ALoNzo HALL' and ALMON HALL, citizens of the United States, residing at Toledo, Lucas county, Ohio, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Convertible Shelves and4 Tables,0f which the following is a specication.

In devices of this class heretofore in use a series of shelves is so arranged that the shelves or leaves may be placed one above the other, as in a cupboard, or from this position they may swing so that they will all fall in the same horizontal plane, thus forminga table, it being understood that each particular shelf remains constantly in a horizontal position. The principal use to which devices of this character are put is the display of merchandise in stores and shops. dent, however, that many kinds of wares cannot be displayed upon this sort of apparatus at all-such, for instance, as wet or moist goods, fine or pulverized substances, loose iiimsy papers, such as pictures, music, and the like--when stood on edge.

Our invention relates to and its object is to provide means for overcoming the difficulties here pointed out,and more particularly to furnish such a device with ,a series of shelves or leaves, one side of which presents a plain surface, the other side having a flanged margin forming a shallow tray; to provide means for inverting these shelves or leaves or setting them at any desired angle to the horizontal, and to provide means for locking the shelves and their supports at any desired adjustment.

- We attain these objects by means of the device and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and shown, and illustrated in t-he accompanying drawings, made part hereof, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of our device with the trays or shelves arranged as steps in a stair, the dotted lines showing them tilted at an angle to the horizontal; Fig. 2, the same, showing the trays arranged one above the other, as in a cupboard, and illustrating by dotted lines the same device arranged as a table; Fig. 3, the same, showing the shelves reversed-that is, with the flan ged sides downward and arranged in step-like series Fig. 4, an elevation of the clamping device for the swinging bars, which support the series of It is eviv shelves, as hereinafter described; Fig. 5, a central vertical transverse sectional elevation giving an end View of the shelves or leaves hereinafter referred to and the fastening devices to be described; and Fig. 6, a front elevation of a portion of our device, showing the shelves or leaves partly tilted and illustrating the arrangement of the braces hereinafter alluded to. This figure shows nearlyY one half .the device, omitting the other half, which is an exact reversed counterpart of the portion illustrated. For the sake of clearness the clamping device k l hereinafter referred to is omitted from this figure.

Like letters and figures of reference indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

In the drawings, a is a supporting-frame, of which there are two, one at each side of the device, about the height of an ordinaryA table and suitably braced.

b is a bar, preferably of metal, having at its middle a portion which projects laterally in the-plane of the bar, as at b', upon which portion the bar is pivotally supported, as at b2, uponthe frame a. It should be understood that there are two of these bars, one at each side of the device, both pivoted upon and just inside of the supports a. Pivotally supported, as at c, between and upon these two bars h at equidistant intervals is a series of shelves or leaves numbered in the drawings l 2 3 4 5. These shelves or leaves are formed, preferably, of sheet metal (sheetsteel is found to answer the purpose admirably) and have integral flanges or rims d, turned at approximately a right angle to the plane of the shelf or leaf, forming upon one side of each of the shelves or leaves a plain surface and upon the other side a shallow tray. The flanges give rigidity to the shelves and impart stability to the entire apparatus. These shelves, if preferred, may be made of wood and the projecting iianges d may be formed of other material and secured to the margin of the shelf. The pivot or journal c at each end of each of the shelves may be formed of a stout cylindrical pin secured to the middle of the end of the shelf, projecting riveted or upset at its outer extremity to pre- IOO through a hole in the swinging bars b and e ssaeo along the bar Z9 are such distance apart that the shelves when rotated upon their axis be` tween the two bars will barely miss touching the neighboring shelf or shelves, thus permitting all the several shelves to be set either in the same plane or at any desired angle to the plane of their supporting-bars Z).

Pivotally secured, as at e, to each end of each of the shelves is anothei` bar f, parallel with the bar Z. The pivots e are spaced at equidistant intervals along the bars f. The longitudinal movement of the bar f causes all of the shelves to rotate upon their pivots c, as indicated by the dot-ted lines in Fig. l, The inner margin of the bar f is notched, as at j". The space between the ends of the shelves and the bars Z) issufcient to receive the bar f, and it will be seen that the bar f may be folded side by side with the bar Z), the pivot-pins c falling into the notches f', thus bringing the shelves all into the same planei Secured to each of the barst, at their middle, is an arc-shaped piece g, having for the center of its circle the pivot h2. Passing through the frames a from the outer side are bolts Zz, upon the inner end of each of which is a clampingrpiece 7L. (See Fig. 4.) VThe bolt ZL at its outer end is provided with a thumb-screw h2. Arc g travels between the clamping-piece Zt and the inner side of the frame, and by means of the thumb-screw the clampingpiece is caused to clamp-the arc at any part ot its travel, thus holding the bars b against movement upon their pivots b2.

Pivotally secured, as at c', to the ends of the shelf dare links Zt, through the longitudinal slot in which and through the frame d d passes a bolt Z, having at its inner end a head Z' and.y at its outer end a thumb-screw Z2. As the shelf 3Lswings upon its axis, all the other shelves beingcaused to perform a like movement through the connections e f, the link 7c moves longitudinally and swings upon the bolt Z, accommodating itself to every position of the shelf 3. Then the thumb-screw Z2 is tightened, the link is clamped between the head of the bolt and the frame. The link is now held against movement, which prevents movement of theshelf 3 upon its pivot c, as well as longitudinal movement of the bar f.

In case the device is to be used for the eX- hibition of heavy goods oris to carry a heavy load, the supporting-frame should be well braced. For illustration, I have shown a convenient method of bracing the frame which will not interfere with the adjustment of the device upon either of the pivots b2 or c. The braces consist of two tie rods or bars m n, hav ing their extremities riveted, bolted, or otherwise secured to the end frames d d. These bars or rods are in substantially the same ver-V when horizontally disposed upon thevertically-arranged bars Z?.

The operation of our device is as follows: Assuming that the goods to be displayed consist of rice, coiiee, sugar, or the like, or wet substances-such as fish, meats, pickles, 850.-- the tray sides of the shelves or leaves are turned upwardly and placed horizontally, as shown in Fig. 1. If now the links 7o are clamped by the bolt and nut Z Z Z2, the middle shelf and the other shelves, through the connections e f, are held against movelnent out of a horizontal plane. IVhile the trays are thus held horizontally," if the clamps h h' 71,2 be loosened the bars bf may swing upon their pivots from the` vertical position` shown.A in Fig. 2, in which the trays stand one above another, as in a cupboard or bookcase, to a` horizontal position, as shown` by the dotted` lines in the same iigure, in which the trays stand in the same horizontal planel as the leaves of a table. In either of these two positions, or at any angle between the two, the bars Z9 may be rigidly clamped against movement by setting up the thumb-nuts h2.

If the goods to be displayed consist of sheetmusic, pictures, magazines, or the like, the shelves with their flanged sides uppermost may be tilted to any angle best suitedto the convenience of theobserver, as illustrated by the dotted lines in F-ig. l, the flange CZ at the lower edge of the shelf preventing the articles from slipping from place.

If from the character of the goods tothe displayed it is desirable to have theiplain sides of the shelves uppermost, this is readily accomplished by loosening both clamps h and Z and inverting upon pivot b2 the bars by, so that the order of the shelves or trays shown in Figs. l and 2 shall be reversed, as shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 6. The adjustment of the shelves or leaves is now made andmaintained in the same manner as above described. It will be observedthat theplane surface presented by the leaves arranged as a` table` may be tilted bodilyinto a vertical planeand there secured, thus forming a convenient screen.

Having described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

l. In a convertible tableandshelves, aseries of leaves or shelves, a flange or rim projecting at an angle from one sidel of each of said shelves, whereby said shelves or leaves present upon one side a plane surface and upon the other side a tray, and means for turning either side of said leaves or shelves uppermost, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

2. In a convertible table andshelves, a supporting-frame, a series of shelves or leaves pivotally mounted upon said frame,.means for turning either side of said shelves or leaves uppermost, means for adj ustin g` said shelves in a plane or planes, horizontal or at anyde-` sired angle to the horizontal, and means for IOO IIO

(securing said shelves or leaves in adjusted position.

3. In a convertible table and shelves, a supporting-frame, a pair of side bars pivotally supported by said frame, a series of shelves pivotally supported by said bars, a rim projecting from one side of each of said shelves at an angle to the plane thereof, and means for turning either side of said shelves uppermost, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a convertible table and shelves, a supporting-frame, a pair of side bars pivotally supported by said frame, a series of shelvespivotally supported by said bars, a rim projecting from one side of each of said shelves at an angle to the plane thereof, means for turning either side of said shelves uppermost, and means for locking said shelves in adjusted position, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

5. In a convertible table and shelves, a supporting-frame, a pair of side bars pivotally supported by said frame and adapted to be inverted upon said pivotal support, a series of shelves or leaves each pivotally supported upon said side bars, another pair of bars pivotally connected with each of said shelves or leaves, and independent means for locking said two pairs of bars in adjusted position.

6. In a convertible table and shelves, a su pporting-frame, a pair of side bars mounted in said frame, a series of leaves or shelves pivoted upon said side bars, pivotal connections between said side bars and said supportingframe in the plane of movement of said bars but out of line therewith, braces between the inverted upon said pivots, a series of leavesor shelves presenting upon one side a plane surface and upon the other side a tray, pivotal connections between saidside bars and said leaves or shelves, connections between said leaves or shelves whereby they may all be swung upon their said pivotal connections with the side bars, means for locking said side bars in adj usted position, and means for locking said connections between the shelves or leaves in adjusted position, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. In a convertible table and shelves, a supporting-frame, a series of shelves or leaves mounted upon said frame, a pivotal support for said series of shelves, whereby said series may be swung from a horizontal position to any angle thereto, a pivotal support foreach of said shelves or leaves, means for tilting said shelves or leaves on their respective bearings from a horizontal position to any desired angle thereto, and means for locking said shelves or leaves in adjusted position.

ALONZO HALL. ALMON HALL. In presence of P. A. MACGAHAN, L. E. BROWN. 

